ROCHESTER — As Frisbie Memorial Hospital continues to fight for its inclusion in the state's only network currently available under the Affordable Care Act, the hospital's prospects look more favorable next year, when two additional insurance carriers will join the New Hampshire Health Insurance Exchange.

And the hospital found a supporter in its battle Tuesday from potential U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown, who toured the facility. Brown said if he is elected he will work to repeal the ACA.

“It's not good for this hospital, it's not good for the state of New Hampshire,” he said.

According to Frisbie CEO Al Felgar, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, which is joining the N.H. Insurance Exchange next year, has agreed to include Frisbie hospital in the network it will offer through the exchange, under the ACA.

Felgar, who signed the agreement with Harvard Pilgrim on Friday, said he also hopes that Minuteman, a Massachusetts-based insurance carrier also joining the exchange next year, will include Frisbie in its network under the ACA as well.

“We are in better shape,” Felgar said Tuesday.

Despite more competition coming to the New Hampshire exchange next year, this year Anthem is the only carrier offering plans under the ACA, known as ObamaCare. Frisbie is among nine New Hampshire hospitals, and their affiliated doctors, that were excluded from Anthem's network under the ACA. In addition, Concord Hospital was invited to join the network, but declined.

Before touring the hospital Tuesday, Brown met with Frisbie department heads. He said the staff is concerned about what kind of care their patients will receive amid the implementation of the ACA, but are also hopeful about the future.

“They are here to care for people, and they will do it no matter what,” Brown said.

Brown, who is weighing a bid for the Senate Republican primary, said while the ACA was passed under the promise of patients being able to keep their doctors and hospitals with an affordable price, that did not turn out to be the case.

He said that instead of the ACA, it should be up to individual states to decide what programs are best for their residents.

“The states can do it better,” said Brown. “We all know the federal government is not a good steward of our money.”

When asked whether he supports Medicaid expansion — which recently gained approval by New Hampshire's Senate and House of Representatives — Brown said he believes in citizens having a safety net; however, he said the Legislature should be “very, very careful” in regards to promises of the ACA.

According to Felgar, Frisbie currently serves about 7,000 patients who have no health insurance. If all of them decide to join the ACA health plans “that's a huge number of people we would lose” to other hospitals, according to Felgar, who said Frisbie's financial future could be in jeopardy. He said uninsured patients make up about 10 percent of all Frisbie patients.

In addition, Frisbie is in danger of losing patients with individual health plans through Anthem. Those patients, who are not eligible for ACA and can afford individual plans, will also have to go to Anthem's narrow network, in which Frisbie is not included.

Since Frisbie's exclusion from the ACA this year, the hospital has lost “dozens” of patients so far, Felgar estimated.

Under the ACA, the federal government would fully fund the state's Medicaid expansion for the next three years.

Brown on Tuesday questioned how the expansion would be paid for at the end of the three years, expressing concern the program would turn out to be an unfunded federal mandate.

Felgar Tuesday said he, likewise, does not support Medicaid expansion. He said while the plan would help hospitals in the short term, the expansion is a federal entitlement the country can't afford.

According to Felgar, Frisbie continues its effort to be included in Anthem's network under the ACA, and so far, the hospital has not been able to negotiate with Anthem. Despite a hearing before the N.H. Insurance Department officials last month, the department has not asked Anthem to include Frisbie in its network.

After Tuesday's tour, Felgar, a registered Republican, said, “Brown understands our problem. I'm encouraged there is someone out there willing to step forward and speak on our behalf.”

He also gave credit to Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, who has made efforts to get Frisbie included in the ACA this year.

“A Republican and a Democrat trying to get us in — that's encouraging,” said Felgar.